Actor and director Daniel Wu Yin-cho has launched a one-man boycott against Fauchon, a French luxury food emporium in Beijing, after reading a comment its marketing manager, Natalie Monlezun, reportedly made during an interview with Time magazine. The pricey establishment holds regular 'how to' evenings for local customers interested in sophisticated French tastes that are, apparently, hard for the Chinese nouveau riche to acquire. The place prides itself on having everything - from glazed eclairs to brioche - exactly comme en France.

'We explain you don't put mustard in coffee,' Ms Monlezun was quoted as saying. 'French tastes are so new here [Beijing]. They don't know what goes with what.'

Wu took offence at the remark and wrote in his personal blog: 'Mustard in coffee? I understand Ms Monlezun may be making an exaggerated joke, but it was definitely an off-colour statement. I highly doubt that the customers who are westernised enough to go to this store and pay for their overpriced groceries are spooning Grey Poupon into their espresso. Chinese new rich may not know the difference between a raclette and a fondue but they aren't retarded either. These people are paying a lot of money to learn from you and you ridicule them in Time magazine? A stupid and disrespectful comment from a 'marketing manager'. Fauchon ... I will add that to the list of places I boycott.'